Chapter 15: 15 Complete. 

After finishing with the dinner family, Jin, who leaned his back on the chair, exhaled all the tension that built up ever since he arrived home. Earlier, at the front gate, he was welcomed by her smiling mother, which made the pit of his stomach churn in worry.

From that moment on, Jin received his sermon for going home almost at night while he promised to come home when dawn appeared. He was drilled for about an hour, unable to explain his reason.

However, thanks to his father’s interference, Jin regained his freedom, and soon, the family dinner began, which was shrouded in an awkward mood.

“Jin, what has happened?”. Marina, who sipped her steaming tea, looked at Jin.

Jin was surprised to see his mother had calmed down. When Jin shifted to the side, his father brought his thumb up, which Jin appreciated. ‘Thank you, father. But I wish you had done it earlier because my feet are killing me!’

“Okay, I will explain…”.

As usual, the family began to share their daily routine, and now Jin, as someone who had a story to tell, told about his reason for coming late and the situation that was befalling him.

Of course, he was still hiding the facts about his status panel and other stuff, but the mood worsened hearing the story, especially his father.

As the lord of a prosperous town, Ryan had done his best to fulfill his subjects’ livelihoods, including houses, jobs, and many others. Thanks to his effort, the town itself had no area that they called slums. There were probably some unfortunate fellows sleeping outside, but all the districts of his town were brim with property that the state had given.

Then, a story about a child who had to undergo such a harsh life appeared, prompting him to have some inspection on his hands. While the mood had worsened, Jin, oblivious to his parents’ worry, opened his mouth to break the tension.

“So, Father, I heard that Irena is a healer within your party?”.

“Yeah, what is this so sudden?”. Ryan lifted his head and gazed at his son with a question mark.

“Can I borrow her power for a bit. This is still involved with the little girl from earlier”.

“Wait a minute, sweetheart! First, what had happened to her mother?”—Marina was shocked to see his assertive son trying to smooth things further.

“She was poisoned”.

Both his parents’ faces hardened upon hearing the words. They soon slumped into their own thoughts and conflicted. Suddenly, the door in the room opened, and Irena, bringing a trail with a tea set, approached the table.

“Ah, you came at a good time, Irena?”. Jin, who couldn’t get an immediate result, jumped from his chair, dashed toward Irena and bowed his head.

Ryan, Marina, and Irena saw Jin easily bow his head just to ask for help, which clearly agitated them. Furthermore, the person he wanted to help was a stranger whose background is still a mystery.

“Um, what is happening?” As someone who had recently arrived, Irena, who was flustered, glanced at her friends and toward Jin, begging for some explanation. “Young master, please explain.”

“Okay, the truth is…”.

*****

Behind the cover of the night, a lone lanky man who still has a blush on his face after enjoying himself with some woman and booze, walking wobbly around the street, reminiscing about the earlier event with a smirk.

“Ehehe, that was amazing. It’s been a while since I held such a busty body.”

Drool streamed down his lips as he found himself leaning against a dark alley wall. Thanks to the cascading moonlight, the lanky man still recognized the road ahead and planned to head home.

However, behind the veil of shadow itself appeared a mysterious figure with a humanoid appearance, wearing a black robe that covered its entire body and face.

“Huh, you are?”.

Feeling a sense of familiarity from the mysterious person, the man tried to strike up a conversation before his line of sight slid down and saw the world spin. A fountain of blood spurted from its neck as it bathed the now headless body.

“…I have no use for you!”.

The robbed person locked away his blood-stained hands before blending into the shadow building and disappearing.

*****

A new day has begun when the sun rises earlier than usual, brightly smiling over the world. Jin, accompanied by Irena, who concealed her figure wearing a maid uniform with a brown robe, walked along the bustling morning street in the central town.

After getting Irena and his parents’ permission, Jin could end the quest easily without much effort. At first, he is worried that there is no way that a Quest that could change someone else’s life could be ended easily like this.

However, it was so stupid for him to brood over the uncertain future when he could act and get things done as soon as possible.

As usual, the crowds were intense the moment both of them entered a Market district. A buzz of energy and transaction war happened all over the place. The stalls have also already started their days in earnest, and Jin’s eyes are glued toward the skewer he bought yesterday.

“Young master, which way should we go?”.

“…Ah, follow me!”.

Jin, traveling the road he had memorized yesterday before, arrived at the familiar wooden house which coincidentally opened its door, and a figure of a bright little girl welcomed with a shocked

“Eh, big brother? What are you doing? Also…”. Nina’s body trembles upon looking at Irena, who covers her face with the robe.

“Ah, it’s okay. Is your mother inside? I have some promise with her”.

“Promise…? With Mom…?”.

“Yes, you can ask her yourself and say a black-haired boy wants to see you”.

Nina, still wary of Jin, who knows her whereabouts, glanced at them both, but after recalling yesterday’s event with the boy, she reluctantly excused herself and went inside.

“Young master, is this really okay?”.

“Well, I don’t know, but regardless of what will happen, I’m counting on you, Irena”.

“Understood, leave it to me”.

The door creaked open, and Nina peeked outside and whispered in a small tone.

“You can come inside”.

“Thank you”.

After hearing the permission, Jin stepped inside the wooden house, following Nina, who guided them with trembling steps. They approached the room at the end corner, and Nine pushed the door inside, revealing her sickly mother, who had awoken from her rest.

As soon as Jin and the woman’s eyes met, she was stiffened beyond words to think he would come the next day after she told him all those things, worse to a stranger who barely knew each other’s names. ‘This boy?!’.

“…You truly came?!”.

“Well, I promise after all, besides…”.

The moment Jin said those words, he looked further down to the side below, toward the hovering panel that showed a detailed explanation of the quest.

When he thought he stared at the panel, everyone around him thought otherwise because his line of sight was directed toward Nina, who watched all the happenings on the sidelines.

Irena and the woman who watched the event felt something warm sprout from their hearts, seeing the boy’s caring nature.

“Irena, can you please?”.

“Yes”.

She lifted the hood that covered her face and began to approach the sickly woman in bed with calm and observant eyes. Irena began to touch the woman’s pulse, sending her magic inside to diagnose the symptom the frail woman was carrying.

“This?!”.

“What happened, Irena?”.

“…?”. The sickly woman tilted her head, curious as to why the maid woman gasped after touching her.

“No, nothing. I will begin the treatment. Please stay still”.

Irena began to close her eyes and hum her prayer as a golden magic circle appeared on her palm. It began to generate a large amount of gold dust that seeped into the sickly woman’s body, improving her complexion.

“Mom?!”.

Nina, who saw the miracle happen before her eyes, turned stoned. She saw her mother, who had a pale face. Now, she was full of vigor and had rosy lips, churning out all her pent-up emotion.

Irena opened her eyes and then began to inspect Nina’s mother’s constitution before sighing in relief.

“Congratulations, you are cured”.

“…Really?!”. Probably still shocked after what had happened, the now healthy woman rubbed her skin, especially around her chest, which used to throb intensely over the past month. ‘It’s gone!’.

“Um, thank you…”.

“Mom?!”.

Before the woman could express her gratitude well, Nina, who grasped her mother’s warm hands, stood still with tears that started streaming down her cheeks. The nostalgic warmth from her mother’s hand that always used to comfort her head with a gentle pat.

Nina brought her mother’s hand to her cheek to feel the warmth more, trying to forget those days she was worried about losing it.

“Mom, uu~ I’m glad. hic,,, I’m truly glad… hic…”.

“Nina, I’m sorry for making you experience something hard”.

Nina began sobbing on her hand; it made the mother realize just how suffered her daughter for the past month she was bedridden. She gently wrapped her hand around her daughter’s back and brought her closer to her chest.

“I’m okay now, Nina. There is nothing for you to worry about. I will be there for you…”.

“hic,,, um, Mommy…”.

Jin and Irena stepped back from the room as they waited in the living room, which had only a sofa facing a rectangle table on top of a red carpet. The two contemplated for a while before excusing themselves and taking a seat on the sofa.

#####

[Character Quest Complete]

Reward: Jade Eyes

#####

[Unique Skill Jade Eyes Obtained]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep